Go Behind the Scenes of a Super Hornet’s First Flight – Video

Boeing test pilot Steve “Bull” Schmidt is a calm, cool and collected man, traits that serve him well on the job.

Several times per month he flies fighter jets, just off the production line, to determine if the new planes can safely do what they were designed to before the military customer takes delivery.

“Flying the new airplane is the culmination of a lot of work that happens beforehand,” Schmidt said. “The engineers and mechanics on the floor are the ones who put it all together, so the high quality is really a reflection of their efforts and the team overall.”

Schmidt has flown more than 400 production first flights in his career, including the T-45, F-15 and F-18.

Watch this video to see Steve “Bull” Schmidt take an F/A-18 Super Hornet up for the plane’s first production flight.